NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

All dressed up and no place to go. That’s what happened Tuesday morning when I was headed out the door to substitute teach at the high school and received the phone call we all live for: snow day. Now what to do? I let the dogs out in the yard for a while. Sure enough, I saw two dedicated students, small boys with backpacks, at the corner stop for the elementary school kids. It was at least 15 minutes past the time the bus would have come for them, and they were anxiously looking down the road, waiting. I yelled: “Children, there’s no school today!” They took off for home with a speed that would have placed them in the Olympics. For me, it was a real treat. The dogs were booked for their baths with Mary at Groomingdale’s; I didn’t have to be a doorman for five hours! Back to bed with a great book Debbie Little loaned me, Mississippi Mud by Edward Humes, a true murder story; you might have caught the newspaper headlines about it from Mississippi in the early 1990s. Snow days are great but we all face the fear that with too many of them, we’ll be going to school in July.

Chris Paffendorf and Priscilla Hopkins returned last weekend from an idyllic month on Captiva Island in Florida. They picked an especially bad New England weather week to return and wondered why they had come back at all. These two devoted tennis aficionados played the game, went to movies, visited Fort Meyers and enjoyed the manatees and dolphins at a marina. Same time, next year, quite possibly longer.

In recognition of black history month our library is screening a great film, free to all, this Sunday at 2 p.m. in the program room. It is the story of Ernie Davis, the first African American Heisman Trophy winner. Dr. Elaine Weintraub will speak on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at the library on the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard, a project dear to her heart. There are 16 formerly unrecognized sites where contributions were made by African Americans on Island. Don’t miss it.

The good news because of last Tuesday night’s storm is that Dr. James H.K.Norton’s four-week course on Hope for Peace in South Asia was postponed. The first class begins at 7 p.m. in the program room of the library on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The lecture series is free and open to all. I checked with the program director; if you can’t make each lecture you are invited to attend the ones you can. I’ll see you there.

There’s nothing like live music on a cold winter’s night. Our library continues with its fabulous programs on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. hosting a free concert by Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish Trio. I’ll bet some of you will be dancing to this great band.

I spent most of last month with Mom in New York, trying not to slip and fall on ice and snow. Donald Mayhew was not as lucky as I was. Donald slipped last Tuesday, right here on Island, and had surgery Wednesday. He is recuperating. You may send him cards at P.O. Box 1994, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. Get well soon Donald! Let Kay shovel the snow.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Marcia Rossi, Chris Silvia, Neko Morgan Masi, Taylor Poggi, and Larissa Cacique today. Feb. 8 honors Dianne McDonough and Jeffrey Masi Sr. Feb. 9 is claimed by Justin Smith. Feb. 10 sees Jainaba Burton-Sundman, Ian Ridgeway, and James Johnson grow old gracefully. Feb. 11 is a party for Judy Pachico, Sabrina Leuning, Joao Prata, Zadoc Moreis, and Katie Weisman. And on Feb. 12 Sukhi Bahal, Sandy Pratt, Hannah Von Osten, and Nat Benjamin join Abe Lincoln in taking the cake. Many happy returns.